Just uttering the name Jaxon Smith-Njigba raises blood pressure throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Yes, the Green Bay Packers should've drafted him when they had the chance. We knew that at the time. We know it now. But Smith-Njigba is still indirectly finding ways to hurt the Packers.
His market-resetting $168.6 million extension with the Seattle Seahawks might initially seem harmless to the Packers. However, Green Bay will have its own wide receiver negotiation to worry about soon, with Christian Watson in line for a new deal this summer. No, Watson won't come close to Smith-Njigba's unfathomable $42.15 million salary, but those numbers won't help the Packers at the negotiating table.
Packers may regret delaying Christian Watson's contract extension after Jaxon Smith-Njigba resets the market
Smith-Njigba has haunted the Packers plenty of times already. Green Bay passed on him in the first round three years ago, instead selecting Lukas Van Ness. Since then, Smith-Njigba has caught 282 passes for 3,551 yards and 20 touchdowns, made two Pro Bowls, and become a Super Bowl champion. All in just three seasons.
Now, he could inadvertently hurt Green Bay again, this time while negotiating Watson's new deal.
The Packers bought themselves time by giving Watson a one-year extension last summer. It made sense as he was still recovering from a torn ACL, and it prevented him from entering the uncertainty of a contract year.
Watson responded by catching 35 passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns in only 10 games, which was even more impressive given he was coming off such a significant injury. Watson almost set career-bests in receiving yards and touchdowns in a little over half a season.
Green Bay will undoubtedly hand Watson a multi-year extension this summer, but the team probably should've considered getting something done before free agency.
First, Alec Pierce kicked off free agency by signing a massive $114 million deal to remain in Indianapolis. The Colts gave him $84 million fully guaranteed, and Pierce will earn $28.5 million per year.
That's the price range Watson's extension will likely fall into.
However, Smith-Njigba's contract only further raises the ceiling of the wide receiver market. Watson won't get paid anything close to $42 million a year, but Smith-Njigba's massive extension could stretch Watson's demands a little higher. The receiver market is exploding. George Pickens is next in line, and he could soon surpass Smith-Njigba as the highest-paid pass-catcher in football.
Again, it helps Watson. He has leverage as he is just one year away from free agency. That adds urgency on the Packers' side.
The longer Watson goes without a new deal, the harder it will become for the Packers. His price tag isn't decreasing anytime soon.
No, Watson's contract won't reach the heights of $40-plus million, but as the market ceiling rises, so do the demands of every receiver sitting at the negotiating table.